january moment

today was the first day of spring classes and i loved it. i enjoyed learning about athenian democracy and i liked the beard of my professor whose age i pegged at 29 and i loved running into jen and sharing hearts on a bench together in the humid weather. russian was such a reunion and my "what i did over vacation" story was simply a retelling of all the driving and flying to-and-there i did over break. after classes, residents wandered in and wanted tea and so i spent my afternoon in my room with five freshman boys drinking wild sweet orange tea listening to a band by the same name. right now, i'm sitting at my desk again and its pretty organized, though there's alot on it. i keep getting distracted by all the new pictures i pinned to the corkboard above my desk. in them, i am smiling with people i love the most and it washes over what an incredible year 2012 was. there is this one picture of mom, dad, and i below this billowing yellow banner that says "welcome to madison!" i hope that it is one my children and grandchildren will find. it captures my junior year, living in a freshman dorm, standing tall and supported by love from the two greatest parents i could imagine. russian homework is frustrating and i read sentence after sentence but only recognize a few words. but even that tells of progress. none of it contains any english explanations anymore. after all, the class is called "business russian."
i graduate within this calendar year and on this january afternoon i am stopping appreciate this moment and to remember how many good changes have occurred throughout my time on these city blocks situated so close to the lincoln.